Man Utd stars’ prank on Rooney during long-haul flight left squad in stitches
The nickname 'Wazza' was coined for Wayne Rooney shortly after his explosive emergence in the early 00s, and it's easy to see why.
Comparisons with endearingly-chaotic man-child Paul 'Gazza' Gascoigne fit him like a glove, and according to former Manchester United and England masseuse Rod Thornley, he was always at the epicentre of the banter – playing on pranks on people and generally causing havoc.
Though every now and then, he'd be merk'd (remember that from Rio Ferdinand's World Cup Wind-Ups? What a time to be alive) by his team-mates which, on one occasion, nearly caused a major standstill at an airport.
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"We're on a jumbo jet on a pre-season tour going to Australia," Thornley revealed during an appearance on the Under The Cosh podcast, "and someone had nicked [Rooney's] suit-bottoms."
United's players had been provided with Paul Smith suits and were expected to wear them as they got on and off the plane for the cameras, but Rooney threw a hissy fit after realising his trousers had mysteriously gone missing.
"He started getting himself dressed, shirt's on, tie's up, 'where's me f***ing pants?' No one gave him his pants back, the lads had hidden them.
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"So we're all suited up and ready to get off the plane and he's fuming. He storms down to the front of the plane, you've got Bobby Charlton on there and Sir Alex [Ferguson] on there, [and he shouts] 'no one's getting off this f***ing plane until I get my pants back!'
"He's like that [holding his arms up to block the walkway], 'no one's getting off!' … it was so funny. The lads were crying laughing and his head had gone. Like, gone."
Rooney and Thornley grew very close through years of working together for club and country, with the England striker affectionately nicknaming the masseuse 'fat c***' during his latter years at United.
Thornley told a funny story about finding out Rooney was joining United when the youngster, who was at Everton at the time, asked him how he should address Ferguson while the two were away with England.
"We just got on, straight away. He used to get me to play Playstation with him. During Euro 2004 we're chatting away and he says to me, 'what do I call your gaffer?'
"I said, 'err what do you mean?' and he went, 'if your gaffer was in the room, what would I call him?' I went, 'Sir Alex. I call him gaffer but he's my boss, not yours'. And then I went, 'hang on a second, are you signing for us?' and he went, 'what do you f***ing think?'
"So he gets his phone out, and I went, (sternly) 'mate, call him Sir Alex, just f***ing make sure you call him Sir Alex', and he said, 'no no, I will, I will'. He picks his phone up [and says] 'alright Alex, it's Wayne', and I went 'oh my God … you f***ing d***'."
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